Honda GL1000 by ER Motorcycles

When I hear that a shop has torn into a Honda Gold Wing, my curiosity is immediately piqued. As clichéd as it is, “less is more” is a maxim for many builders—and Honda’s legendary tourer is the exact opposite.

Thankfully the bike in question is a 1975 GL1000—the first production model ‘Wing. That means less bodywork and four cylinders, unlike the six sported by the starships of the late 80s and 90s.

If anyone can put a unique spin on a GL1000, it’s Slovenia’s ER Motorcycles. Blaž Šuštaršič and his team are rapidly earning a reputation for building tasteful customs with an air of brooding intrigue.

According to Blaž, this GL1000 belongs to an Italian gentleman. “Italians are true hedonists, and our client on this project is no exception. After our first meeting it was clear what la dolce vita is all about and we wanted to translate it into our rebuild.”

The client was planning to do some travelling with his GL1000, starting with a trip from Verona to Nordkapp, Norway. So reliability and practicality were to be top priorities—without neglecting aesthetics. “In terms of design we wanted to create a robust yet comfortable travel bike, but keep its original vintage feel.”

The GL1000’s engine received a refresh, with a new clutch and belts, but ER opted to retain the stock carbs and air box. They fabricated a new exhaust system though, and capped it with twin SuperTrapp mufflers. The wiring is all-new, based on a Motogadget m-Unit linked up to Motogadget m-Switches and a Motoscope Classic speedo.

Leaving the frame mostly unaltered, ER then turned their attention to improving luggage capacity. Front, rear and side carrier racks were hand-made, as well as a headlight bracket and a neat radiator guard.

Hagon shocks were installed at the rear, and the 16” wheels are now kitted out with Avon MKII tyres. The engine is protected by custom-made crash bars, which double-up as spotlight mounts. ER has also fitted Renthal handlebars with trimmed Biltwell Thruster grips, a 7” headlight, and a Posh tail light.

The client’s need for packing space also led the team to manufacture a set of bespoke travel bags. “I love how those bags turned out, they really complete the overall look of the bike. They required long working hours to get the looks we wanted—and meet all functional needs—but it was worth it.’’

Tying everything together is a sublime matte blue, black and white paint job on the stock tank, matched to a well-padded, one-off leather seat. Tiny details abound: such as heat shields on the mufflers to protect the luggage, and a small plaque on the left engine cover with Nordkapp’s latitude. Everything was done in-house, and the entire build was completed in just two months.

The team dubbed the GL1000 “Nordiq”—a combination of its intended destination and the color on the fuel tank. “We really enjoyed working on this one, it was one of the most rewarding projects. We hope the bike will offer a unique travel experience—un viaggio perfetto if you wish.”

With equal portions of practicality and looks I’m sure it will. But what I really want to know is if they’re planning to produce any more of those bags.